OK. I know this is about my hundredth post today.

But I just have to share- I am continually having the most awkward run-ins with our managing director (basically the acting head of the library). He is awesome and I am awkward, that is why our encounters are awkward.

One time I was working on the reference desk and he was down there just chatting with people, and I think trying to get an idea of what the reference desk is like and he was just sitting with each person there and asking them what they do and how they do it and blah blah blah. And I was running back and forth like a chicken with my head cut off because there were a million people with crazy problems that day. And he kept trying to catch me so he could sit and chat with me, but I was trying to help one person for seriously 30 minutes straight. I can't remember what their deal was. Anyways, I ended the shift feeling like I had completely brushed him off...which I didn't. At least I didn't mean to. I hope he didn't feel that way, or they'll never hire me here if a real job does open up.

Anyways, today we were coming back from lunch at the same-ish time, and I was walking towards the building in front of him, and I guess he was trying to catch up with me so he could open the door for me, because he's polite like that. But when there's someone walking quickly behind me, that makes me speed up. Because I'm crazy. Anyways, I got to the door and opened it and we exchanged hellos and as I was opening the inner door, he chastised me for opening my own door! In a nice and joking way, but...dear self, don't be so dense and awkward in the future.

Hopefully our next encounter will be awesome and he'll be all "OMG you're so amazing! Wait, you're just an intern?! We need you here full-time forever!"

A girl can always dream, right?

I just remembered something that made me laugh. A couple of weeks ago, someone gave a talk in church about parables (well actually, everyone that day spoke about parables, it was pretty intense).

Anyways, I guess he wanted to define and exmplify the uses of parables by sharing his favorite one. His favorite parable just happens to be Les Miserables. The musical, not the book (because who reads books these days?!).

Can you guess where this is going? He spent his entire talk telling all the ins and outs of the plot of Les Mis. It took FOREVER. And...he even ended up quoting most of Javert and Jean Valjean's vocal duet/fight ("I am warning you JAVERT! I'm a stronger man BY FAR!") where they sing overlapping parts you know?

So obviously, there are some pretty strong moral lessons that can be drawn from Les Mis. But those lessons could be conveyed by a short summary. I don't need you to quote the whole libretto at me- also? It just makes you look like you didn't prepare a talk and so decided to fill time by telling a really long story. I could be learning something valuable and edifying during all that time!

But maybe it's just me...maybe I WOULD be learning something if I weren't so hard-hearted! (*snert*)

(and none of this really tops the ward attended by a friend of mine where every month, people have been heard to quote Miley Cyrus, Dave Matthews, Kenny Chesney, and others...)

Also, I put a picture of Enjolras because...he's obviously the best Les Mis character. OBVIOUSLY.

You guys, ALL the good jobs open up when I'm not looking! I'm ticked. Today I saw the perfect job listing (archivist, working with lots of AV, in ATL at the Carter Presidential Library- I'm an archivist, I've worked with tons of AV, ATL is close to Chattanooga!) but I just can't bring myself to apply because if, on the off chance that I actually got it, I would have to leave my internship about 5 months early, and I know they would understand me leaving, but I just cant bear the thought of leaving so long before it's over! I was so excited when I got this because finally I would have some kind of experience that lasted longer than 4-6 months. I need to get a solid year on my resume.

Job application mental block ftw. ARG.

In other news:

"Crazy, Stupid, Love" was both crazy and stupid, but also confusing (not in a bad way) and entertaining. And oh honey, I never though Ryan Gosling was attractive until I saw this, but (pardon the expression), ROWR. ALSO, the character with whom I share a name is A CREEPER. I don't care if I'm giving you spoilers, but I am just so appalled because she has something unsavory going on inside her brain that drives her to give naked pictures of herself to a THRTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY.

This morning I spent 30 minutes ironing and trying three different shirts before settling on one.

THAT IS TOO LONG.

I think it's time to start up the lay-out-your-clothes-the-night-before plan, because that is a crappy reason to be "late" to work (although it's hard to be late to something where my schedule is whatever I say it is...it's the principle of the thing).

Two nights ago, my body had an epic battle with itself.

As a result, I barely slept.

The next day (which was yesterday), I almost passed out in the bathroom at work (or I might have actually passed out, I'm not sure? I don't remember, and I had kind of propped myself against a corner in case I *did*, so I don't really know what happened. All I know for sure is that my body hates me). So as a result I left work early (only an hour early...lame) and went home to watch old tv on my computer. All I wanted to do was sleep, but it was so early still that I knew I would wake up in the middle of the night all chipper and ready to go. So I took one Benadryl (only one) knowing that (1) my allergies have been acting up (though that's unrelated to this incident), and (2) Benadryl does something terrible to my brain that makes it unable to function.

And then.....I slept for 13 hours straight. Go me!

In other news:

Don't laugh at me, but I kind of loved Cowboys and Aliens. It was a classic, formulaic Western...but with ALIENS. What could possibly be better? I'll tell you what, nothing else that's in theaters right now. Big theaters I mean, not independent theaters. It was fun, it had Harrison Ford, and it also had (spoiler) a giant alien ship exploding. Fantastic.

Although, this was what I saw the afternoon before my body exploded. Either it was trying to tell me something about the movie, or I'm not supposed to eat theater popcorn anymore.

You need to watch this movie.

It's hard to watch- I left with a headache from too much crying, but it's good.

I'm starting to really love Kristin Scott Thomas- she's been making some really wonderful movies (in both French and English, or in this case, a mix of the two) over the last few years.

In this, the young Starzynski family (along with tens of thousands of others) who happen to be Jewish are rounded up by the French government and deported to camps in Germany and Poland. Just one month later, another family (not Jewish) moves into the apartment vacated by the Starzynskis. We follow the Starzynski's daughter, Sarah, as she is shuttled from place to place, desperately trying to escape so she can go home and find her little brother who, when the police came to "arrest" the family, she locked in a closet so he would be safe. We also see how Sarah's story becomes tied closely to the other family who took over her apartment- the Tezacs. Is that confusing? Sorry. I don't know how to describe the story without giving away too much. A wonderful, emotionally draining movie.

A small movie- written by the main actress, Brit Marling, and the producer/editor/cinematographer Mike Cahill, while they were still in college.

It's sci-fi, but not. The kind of sci-fi where yes, there is something extraordinary going on in the background of the story, but that is not the focus. The focus is on lives and how they converge (or, as with Rhoda and her family, diverge).

On the night that a planet identical to Earth is discovered, a drunk-driving Rhoda (just graduated from high school and on her way to MIT) runs into a car carrying John and his family, killing all but John. She goes to prison. She is released four years later and goes to John's house to apologize, but he does not recognize her, so she loses her nerve and tells him she works for a cleaning service and is going door-to-door offering free trials. She becomes his regular cleaning woman. They eventually start a relationship. She still can't tell him. She wins a trip to go to "Earth II" as it's now called. Some more stuff happens.

Brit Marling is both pitiful and devastating as Rhoda. She should not be sympathetic, but she is so obsessed with making amends and yet so unable to take the necessary steps. She is paralyzed by her inability to face the devastation she caused in John's life. It was interesting. It was enjoyable.

I'm halfway through my internship now. Do you know what that means? That means it's time to gear up for another round of job applications! Yippee!

Here is my problem though. Before I got this job, I spent 5 months sending in applications. Five months!! Now I realize there are people who have been trying for much longer to get a job without success, and I'm grateful it only took me that long. And when this one did pop up, it was kind of a whirlwind- barely a month from the "let's set up an interview" phone call to my first day of work (including trying to keep up with a full course load, packing most of my belongings, and making a cross-country move).

But anyways, back to the problem. So. Last time it took forever long to finally snag a position, and I'm having a hard time judging how long it will take me this time. I want to give myself enough time applying so that I'll end up with a position starting round about the beginning of March. How early is too early to begin? How late is too late? I do have more experience now, so maybe it won't take as long?

Also, the other problem. There is almost nothing I hate more than the job-search process. No matter how tough-skinned I think I am, I still die a little bit inside every time I get an email saying "we're sorry, you weren't among our most qualified applicants". Sigh.